Nebo Lodge, Drunken Oyster, and heading back down the coast

Last night the lovely and I went out to dinner with Blythe, Lenny, Carol. It was our (Sue and I) first visit to the Nebo Lodge in North Haven and the food was fantastic. The evening started at our house for wine and apps, and then we drove to a dock, and waited for Foy–and his skiff.

The fog was a little thick, so seeing North Haven (or Foy and the skiff) wasn’t as easy as one would think. Within a few minutes however, we heard the noise of a motor, and our luxury transportation came into view…

Once across, we meandered the roads of North Haven, and ended up at the Nebo Lodge. The food was definitely fantastic, and the conversation flowed like the wine!

Before the wine and food commenced however, we stopped in the bar and had a drinkipoo. After perusing the cocktail offerings, I opted for a Drunken Oyster–which consisted of Maine vodka, a touch of vermouth, and a raw North Haven oyster–the lovely had a Cool Hand Cuke–Hendrick’s Gin, Elderflower Liqueur, simple syrup, and cucumber slices.

After dinner, the bartender–who referred to us as, "the Vinalhaveners"–offered to take us back to our island on his boat. A nightcap followed the boat ride back at our house, where the conversation continued–as did the consumption of wine.

A great evening!

This morning we are hosting brunch for the 5 of us, and then take the boat across to the mainland. Hopefully the rain will let up for the drive down the coast.

3 days to go…

The lovely and I are still on VH, and will head back to the mainland tomorrow.

It has been a busy and fun few days on the island. This morning was the flea market, and about an hour ago the "strawberry festival" started. Later we are heading to North Haven for dinner at the Nebo Lodge–this requires a boat ride to another island.

In preparation of RL and Marie France’s arrival, (in 3 days), Sue called one of the lobstermen, and has 8 lobster being delivered for their arrival. 8!!! (and that is just for one night!!!).

Also, I just booked my hotel for Brimfield in July. Anyone else going?

5 day countdown!

The countdown has begun for Robert and Marie France’s upcoming visit. So, the lovely and I are traipsing back and forth from the mainland to our home on Vinalhaven bringing a few supplies (and a few corkscrews).

Lobster will definitely be on the menu, but there will also be dinners at Lucca (in the north end), Primo (in Rockland), The Haven (in VH), and Fore Street (in Portland). The wine will be flowing, and I am sure somehow, someway, we will fit in a little corkscrew hunting.

Speaking of corkscrews, the stag handled Murphy finally showed up, and it is indeed marked underneath the lip of the bell with the patent information.

While I am quite pleased with the continued growth of the Murphy corkscrew collection, if someone wanted to…say…send a Griswold, Hootch Owl, or Sperry my way, I would gladly take them!!!

arrivals…

just when you thought it was safe to go in the water…

Another Murphy is heading to 16 Kingston–although, it will probably be forwarded to our new address at 16 Carver. Yes, we are moving! To Maine!

What Murphy is it? A wing nut version of the Boston made corkscrew is heading my way. And this one was the perfect price–free!!!

It will make a nice addition to the growing Murphy collection, and the page showing all of them will be up and running soon!

More news regarding our upcoming move, brimfield, london, vermont, and all things corkscrewy soon!!!

heading up to Maine

up the coast I go…

news and pictures to follow!

back from Vermont (well, for a little while anyway)

Joe’s Pond, Vermont was fabulous, and a good time was had by all!!!

No corkscrews were purchased, but I had forgotten about a snipe bid I placed, and when we got home an email came in saying that I had won an 1895 Brown patent.

The seller mentioned nothing about marks in his listing, so I am assuming it isn’t. Still, a nice piece to put in the collection, or dangle out there as trade bait for TC and MW.

49 years off…

A corkscrew was listed on eBay recently. It was actually 4 corkscrews, and one was described as being marked "Pat. Jan. 4, 25." However, there was something about the corkscrew that didn’t look right. It looked too old to be circa 1925.

So, I grabbed O’Leary (the book, not the actual person) and looked at the section that would contain a 1925 corkscrew. Nothing! I thought, perhaps the mark might be 1928, or 1923… still nothing!

Then I perused the back of O’Leary’s book. And, none of the patent drawings, in that age range, resembled it at all. I called RL to see if he could look at Fletcher Wallis’ book on British patents, as I didn’t have it with me in Maine. After I got home, I double checked. Still Nothing!!!

If any other text might have a reference, it would be Ferd Peters and Bert Giulian’s book on pocket corkscrews, and I started leafing through the pages. And, there it was. It isn’t marked 25…demarking 1925. The mark was mis-read by the seller–she was merely 49 years off–it is instead marked 76, for 1876…which btw, means the piece is F.T. Witte’s American patent for a key ring "cork-screw." This is indeed in the back of O’Leary!

As the patent explains, "The combinations of an efficient cork-screw adapted to be attached to a key-ring, and thus carried on the person without danger of loss, has never been before known. My invention is intended to supply this want…"

Well, Francis T. Witte of Brooklyn, your invention did satisfy my want, and I am pleased that an example of the patent is on its way!!!

I am currently on the hunt for an circa 1876 key-ring to which the Witte patent could be attached. I don’t want to have to worry about, "…the danger of loss…" : )

The lovely and I are heading to Vermont this morning, and will be offline until Monday–good hunting all!!!

arrivals and a departure

Well, first of all, after much traffic, I arrived home last night safely! I didn’t make too many stops, but did hit a couple of antique stores that I hadn’t visited before; one did have a corkscrew (unmarked) it looks like an early Murphy. I have a similar marked one.

I skipped the larger multi-dealer shops with hopes that any corkscrews will lay undiscovered until RL and Marie-France visit in 11 days.

That said, there have been a couple of corkscrew arrivals over the last few days.

A Henry Boker / Germany folding corkscrew

A G & S / Henckels folding corkscrew

and the Murphy Corkscrew with patent information on the shaft–acquired in the trade with Tommy.

The other Murphy with the stag handle is still on its way, but hopefully it will arrive soon. Also, for those who had heard rumor about another Hootch Owl, the possessor of said Hootchie, will be listing it on the upcoming ICCA auction.

The lovely and I are departing to Joe’s Pond, Vermont tomorrow morning–the laptop will be left behind, news upon our return. Could there be corkscrews to be found along the way??? : )

wireless achieved!

After much rigamorole, the wireless at the island house is finally up and running!

More news to follow!!!

quick trade, and heading to Maine

so… Tommy found a Murphy patent bell recently, and as one many have noticed, I am rather fond of Murphy corkscrews. It isn’t an obsession like Syroco corkscrews mind you, but I have acquired several.

As it happened, I called Tommy today after looking at hotels in early preparations for the 2010 CCCC meeting in Boston, and simply made an offer of a Gottfried Krueger advertising corkscrew in exchange for the Murphy patent. The deal was done almost by the time the offer was made. No hemming and hawing, no counter offers, no "let me think about it"s. Quick and painless.

For those that have never bore witness to a trade session between Tommy and I, it can takes hours, weeks, months. One legendary session started simply; I placed a rare syroco corkscrew on Tommy’s coffee table, and shortly thereafter I walked around the room placing corkscrew after corkscrew in a pile next to the piece I was offering until I felt the deal was fair.

This was followed by Tommy taking corkscrews from the pile that I had just put together, and placing them back in their previous locations. And, so it went. Several on to the coffee table, three off of the coffee table, four on to the coffee table, two off of the coffee table. At each juncture, there would be some kind of stare down, usually followed by laughter…

Eventually the deal got done.

So, yesterday was a first. It was easy! Murphy for Gottfried…! I have no doubt the next one will take a bit longer : )

The lovely and I head to Maine in a half hour or so, too early for corkscrew hunting; maybe there will be a few stops on the way back down. And, could it be that wireless will be finally set up at our house there??? We shall see…